BAKU, Azerbaijan, Nov. 26
Trend:
The unilateral recognition of the so-called ‘independence’ of the ‘Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’ by Paris wouldn't benefit anyone, Secretary of State at the French Foreign Ministry, Jean-Baptiste Lemoine said, Trend reports referring to the Russian media.
According to the official, this step won’t reflect the policy of the French government, Yerevan, and other partners of Paris.
"The settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict doesn’t come from unilateral actions but depends on a dialogue between the two sides, and today, more than ever, the sides need the support of the co-chairs (of the OSCE Minsk Group - France, Russia, and the US) to continue this dialogue," he stressed.
As earlier reported, on November 18, at the Presidium of the French Senate, a group of senators influenced by the Armenian diaspora presented a draft resolution No. 145 ‘On the need to recognize the ‘Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’, which was discussed and adopted on November 25.
Following over a month of military action to liberate its territories from Armenian occupation, Azerbaijan has pushed Armenia to sign the surrender document. A joint statement on the matter was made by the Azerbaijani president, Armenia's PM, and the president of Russia.
A complete ceasefire and a cessation of all hostilities in the zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict were introduced at 00:00 hours (Moscow time) on 10 November 2020.
Armenian Armed Forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of the Azerbaijani army on the front line, using large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery on Sept. 27. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front.
Back in July 2020, the Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijan's Tovuz district. As a result of Azerbaijan's retaliation, the opposing forces were silenced. The fighting continued the following days as well. Azerbaijan lost a number of military personnel members, who died fighting off the attacks of the Armenian Armed Forces.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, the Armenian Armed Forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.